Windows 7: BSOD, no minidumps

I'm getting a BSOD of a frequency of about one every couple of days.

I looked in C: Windows but there is no minidump folder or file there. In the system recovery settings it's currently set to create a kernel memory dump, should I change it to small memory dump instead?

What else should I be doing? The BSOD displays the usual warnings and info with the following code:

STOP: 0x000000F4 (0x0000000000000003, 0xFFFFFFA8004FB0B030, 0XFFFFFA8004FB0E10, 0XFFFFF8000ZD99240)

I've tried googling that and obviously found thousands of results for the 0x000000F4 error but narrowing it down using the other strings leaves me with nothing.

The BSOD also suggests disabling BIOS memory options such as catching or shadowing? What would the effects of that be?

The only other bit of info I have is that the windows event viewer categorises the problem as Event ID: 41, Kernel-Power and gives the following details:

- <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />
<EventID>41</EventID>
<Version>2</Version>
<Level>1</Level>
<Task>63</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2010-01-29T11:17:44.755611000Z" />
<EventRecordID>16347</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>evan-laptop</Computer>
<Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />
</System>
- <EventData>
<Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="SleepInProgress">false</Data>
<Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>

Could the fact that it is a kernel power error be the reason the memory dump isn't working and would changing it to small memory dump help with this?

Any help appreciated.

Hi and welcome


The minidump may also be stored in C:\windows and be called memory.dmp. try searching for *.dmp

Ken

No results found for *.dmp.

follow these instructions on how to set windows to record minidumps and also please burn to CD and run from boot memtest86+ for at least 3 passes

Okay I have changed the dump settings to small memory dump instead of kernel as advised there. Only difference is that says to change it to "Small memory dump (64 kB)" while the only option in my dropdown box is for 256kB.

Also I should have mentioned it but I already ran that memtest program a couple of weeks back when this problem first started happening on the advice of a friend, it didn't report any errors. In fact I can see the CD I burned it to on my desk right now! Should have mentioned that in the first post sorry.

Thanks for help so far guys.

don't worry about that size difference i think it is actually 256kb as you have , and with memtest86 theres more than one version, are you sure you have the right one ?